The ladies, who found worldwide fame as part of the naked ‘Alternative WI’ Calendar Girls, raising £1.5 million for the charity, led more than 100 people on a 5km ‘Forget Me Not Walk’ through Southport.

Setting off from Chapel Street, the walkers braved wind and rain to trek through the resort, along The Promenade, taking in the Marine Lake and the scenic seafront, before reaching the finishing line, where they celebrated with cream tea at Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.

Melissa Houston, community fundraising manager at Leukaemia Research, said: “Despite the rain, we had a great turnout on the day and everyone enjoyed the cream teas and tea dance at the finish venue. We'd like to thank everyone who took part as their fundraising efforts will help us make a real difference to the lives of many adults and children across the UK.”

The event comes hot on the heels of the success of Leukaemia Research’s first ever Forget Me Not Walk, held in Chester last September.

Sponsored by Hotter Shoes, the event is a 5km sponsored walk for people of all ages to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

l For more details about Forget Me Not walks visit www.forgetmenotwalks.com